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Juvenile, one other charged with Lusignan massacre
Another teen has been charged for killings at Lusignan, East Coast Demerara, earlier this year when 11 persons, including five children, lost their lives.
An impassive 15-year-old of Strathspey Squatting Area, East Coast Demerara, appeared before Magistrate Melissa Robertson-Ogle in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court where he was read the capital offence of murder.
The Form Three student of Buxton Community High was charged for allegedly slaying Shazam Mohamed, Shalim Baksh, Raywattie Ramsingh, Dhanrajie Ramsingh, Seecharran Rooplall, Mohandai Gurdat, Seegopaul Harilall, Seegobin Harilall, Clarence Thomas, Vanessa Thomas and Ron Thomas on January 26.
The juvenile is jointly charged with a man identified as Royden Durant, 20. However, as was the case with the Terrence Sugrim saga, Durant insisted that his name was Roberto Royden Williams.
When the Magistrate proceeded to read the charge to the duo, the lawyer for the man identified as Durant, Roger Yearwood, interjected saying that that was not his client’s name.
Yearwood told the court that his client’s name is Roberto Royden Williams.
Police Prosecutor, Denise Griffith, objected saying that the accused gave his name to the police as Mark Royden Williams called Royden Durant and ‘Smiley’.
“Dem tell I name da,” the accused said.
This prompted the Magistrate to alter the case docket replacing ‘Mark’ with Roberto and proceeding to read the charge. However, the man’s cousin who met with the press later, said that her cousin’s name was Mark Williams.
Durant was charged separately with another murder. He was charged with the August 30, 2007 murder of mango trader, Kumar Singh, called ‘Mango Man.’
He is now the fourth person charged with killing the businessman who was shot dead at his Cove and John, East Coast Demerara, home.
Prior to the reading of the charges, the accused (Durant) was removed from the Magistrates’ Court and taken to the High Court on a writ of habeas corpus which was filed by his attorney.
This newspaper understands that the writ of habeas corpus was filed because (Durant) claimed that he had been beaten by the police.
Reports state that the police had taken the man to the hospital earlier in the week and a medical certificate was produced when he appeared before Justice Rishi Persaud.
In the Magistrates’ Court, Yearwood told the Magistrate that his client is a 20-year-old vendor of confectionaries. He also said his client lives at State Road, Uitvlugt, West Coast Demerara, and is a father of two.
But the man’s cousin said that he lived at North Sophia where he was arrested on Sunday. She told the press that her cousin was beaten and subjected to a questionable identification parade.
The matters have been transferred to the Vigilance Magistrate’s Court for June 26. Sources told Kaieteur News that the two accused signed confession statements putting themselves at Lusignan at the time of the massacre.
They have also reportedly admitted to being part of a criminal gang. On February 21, 19-year-old minibus conductor James Hyles was also charged with the killings at Lusignan. He is on remand.
On January 26, a barrage of heavily armed gunmen entered the East Coast Demerara village of Lusignan and slaughtered 11 persons, including five children, some of whom were killed while they were asleep.
This wanton act was followed by a similar incident on February 17 when 12 persons, including three police ranks, were shot and killed by gunmen at the mining community of Bartica. Several other persons were also injured.
The juvenile was arrested in a hinterland location having escaped from a police operation and slipping through a Joint Services cordon at Christmas Falls in the Berbice River, some 90 miles south of Kwakwani.
He was hungry and unarmed when the patrol stumbled on him. The same was not the case for Cecil Simeon Ramcharran and 15-year-old Robin ‘Chung Boy’ Chung. They were shot and killed.
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